Latch



(No Model.)

' U. W. TROTTER.

LATCH.

No. 420,365. Patented Jan. 28, 1890.

N. PEYERs. Plmlwmm m hu. Wuhinglon. D16.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WV. TR OTTER, OF ROCHESTER, NENV YORK.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,365, dated January 28, 1890.

Application filed November 11, 1889. Serial No. 329,898. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. TROT'IER, of the city of Rochester, county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Catches for Door-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My present invention relates to that class of looks or latches for fastening doors or windows, and particularly those adapted'for use on refrigerators, where it is desirable to draw the door close in to its casing and hold it there, effectually preventing the ingress of warm air; and it has for its object to provide a catch with which the locking or lever 00- operates, operating not only to perform the above functions in the best manner, but also to provide a cheap and simple construction that can readily be reversed and applied to doors hung on either side, if desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aview showing the lock applied to a door; Fig. 2, a sectional view on the line a; w of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a similar view, with the catch withwhich the latch or looking lever co-operates reversed.

Similar letters and numerals of reference in the several figures denote similar parts.

A indicates adoor, upon which the locking lever or latch 1 is pivoted at 2, and B the door-casing, upon which the co-operating catch forming the subject-matter of the present invention is located.

The escutcheon or plate 3, to which the catch 4 is connected,is preferably recessed on its under side, as shown, provided with the apertures for securing-screws 5 6 6 and apertures 7 7 near the center, as shown, while the catch proper 4 is constructed either of cast or stamped metal having the outwardly-projecting engaging end beveled slightly on the inside at 8, and its inner portion or shank 9 is preferably thinner and slightly elastic and arranged in a diiferent plane, extending through one of the apertures 7 on plate 3 and to near the end of said plate, where it is secured by being clamped between the plate and casing B, and properly positioned by one of the screws 6 passing through a perforation in its end, as shown. On the catch is provided a shoulder 10, adapted to co-operate with the outer edges of the apertures 7, and under ordinary circumstances the shank 9 rests against the under side of the plate 3, as in Figs. 2 and 3; but it may, if desired, be sprung away from it, so as to permit a movement of the catch from the securing-screw. I prefer, however, to form the shoulder 10 so that the elastic shank will have a bearing on the under side of the plate at 11, so that when the locking- .lever engages the beveled end of the catch and is moved down to close the door the spring will bend substantially as in dotted lines, Fig. 2, thereby forcing the door tight in the casing, and the inner side of the engaging end of the catch may also be-rounded out slightly to prevent the accidental displacement of the locking-lever. The end of the catch may be raised from the supporting-casing either by thickening it or forming a slight boss thereon, or, if desired, by the insertion of a washer.

By constructing the catch separate from the plate and with the shank or extension I not only provide for polishing and finishing the parts in the best manner, but also pro vide for applying new catches should one be broken, and, further, by making the two apertures near the center of plate 3 the catch can be reversed to fit doors opening either to the right or left. (See Figs. 2 and It will be understood that it is not essential that two apertures 7 be provided in the plate 3, as one could be employed as well for most purposes but I prefer to employ two, so that the center of the locking-lever will come in the same position whether the open side of the catch be disposed up or down.

No additional fastenings are required in this form of catch, as the shank or extension is clamped between the plate and its support, and the securing-screw 6 is passed through its end, as shown, though this is not essential.

I claim as my invention* 1. The combination, with the plate having the aperture therein, of the catch passing through the aperture having the outer engaging portion, and the shank on the other side.

of the plate and clamped between it and the plate-support, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the plate having the aperture therein, of the catch passing through the aperture having the outer engaging portion and the shank on the other side of the plate, and the securing-screw passing through the plate and shank and into the plate-support, substantially as described.

3. The combination, With the plate having the aperture therein, of the catch passing through the aperture having the outer engaging portion, and the elastic shank extending beneath the plate and clamped at its end between the plate and its support, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the plate having I 5 an aperture therein adapted to be secured to a support, of the reversible catch passing through said aperture having the outer engaging end, and the shank extending below the plate and clamped between it and its sup- 20 FRED F. CHURCH, S. E. TRUE. 

